EOW questions Sena (UBT) leader over khichdi distribution `scam', finds monetary transactions

The Economic Offences Wing EOW of Mumbai Police which is probing an alleged Rs 6.37 crore scam in khichdi distribution during the COVID-19 pandemic has found some related transactions in the bank accounts of Shiv Sena UBT leader Amol Kirtikar and Yuva Sena functionary Suraj Chavan, an official said on Thursday.

The Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of Mumbai Police which is probing an alleged Rs 6.37 crore scam in `khichdi' distribution during the COVID-19 pandemic has found some related transactions in the bank accounts of Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Amol Kirtikar and Yuva Sena functionary Suraj Chavan, an official said on Thursday. The EOW had on Wednesday questioned Amol Kirtikar in the case for nearly five hours. Kirtikar is the son of former Lok Sabha MP Gajanan Kirtikar. Gajanan Kirtikar, incidentally, is now with the Shiv Sena led by Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde.

The EOW suspects that Amol Kirtikar helped a private firm get the contract to provide khichdi to stranded migrant workers during the pandemic from the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC).

The investigation stemmed from alleged irregularities of Rs 12,024 crore in the BMC, flagged by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG). While probing certain financial transactions as part of the probe, EOW officials found that Rs 50 lakh were transferred into Amol Kirtikar's account while Rs 37 lakh were transferred into Chavan's account, said an official. The agency is investigating why these amounts were paid to them, he added.